This week’s Batten Hour guest speaker was Dr. Maya Haasz, a pediatric emergency room physician and an associate professor of pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She told the audience that since 2020, firearms have been the leading cause of death for young people in the United States, yet fewer than 20% of the country knows this fact.

Haasz is committed to changing the course of the epidemic and decreasing firearm injuries and fatalities in young people. She said that basic gun safety precautions in the home are paramount to protecting children, yet there is a cultural norm of avoiding talking about it. Haasz said that everyone has a role to play in working toward solutions, particularly healthcare providers who are in direct contact with children and their families and who can be a trusted messenger for advocating for gun safety. 

Click the image for a YouTube video of Dr. Haasz’s talk.